#dad gavin

Gardenia murmured something about being cold and Rowan wrapped her arms more tightly around her.

“It’s okay, little princess,” she murmured, rubbing her back. “We’re almost home. Then we’ll get you all nice and warm.”

“Mama, can we watch a movie?” Aurora called, pushing Wisteria, their second oldest, backwards as she tried to stick her hand into Aurora’s pumpkin-shaped bucket.

“It’s very late,” Rowan said, kissing Gardenia’s head. “Maybe we can watch a movie tomorrow!”

Wisteria fell back against Cordelia, Gardenia’s twin, throwing her head back to gape at them upside down. “Boooo!”

Gavin covered his mouth to stifle his chuckle, averting his eyes when Rowan glared at him.

“I didn’t know you were a ghost, Wisteria.”

“Booooooooo!”

“Mama, she’s crushing me!”

Sighing, Rowan turned around fully to try and get Wisteria to move, even as Cordelia and Aurora started to wrestle with her to get her out of the way.

“MAMA!” Wisteria screeched, so loud Rowan’s ears began to ring. “MAMA THEY’RE STEALING MY CANDY!”

“We are not,” Aurora groused, clutching her own candy bucket to her chest and glaring at her sister.

Rowan winced, Gardenia’s nails digging into her shoulder as she tried to straighten. “Gardenia, sweetie, can you please be gentle with mama? That hurts.”

“Here,” Gavin paused, setting down the wagon’s handle. “Let me take her.”

Rowan winced as Gardenia dug her nails in more, already resisting being taken away. “Are you sure? You’re already pulling the wagon.”

Gavin sighed, prying Gardenia from Rowan’s arms. “Of course I’m sure, pumpkin. You’ve been carrying her all night.”

The relief was instantaneous, Rowan feeling like she was made of fluffy summer clouds, the tulle and shimmering pink fabric of her puffy skirt feeling less like iron weights trying to drag her through the earth.

Her back still ached though, and her feet, but at least it was a little easier to walk now.

A rumble of thunder rolled overhead and Gardenia whimpered, trying to reach out to Rowan again.

“You have to let mama rest,” Gavin gently scolded. “You’re getting bigger and she’s carrying your little sibling.”

Gardenia pouted, but grew quiet, focusing instead on scrambling on Gavin’s shoulders and clutching at his hair like the rat in a Disney movie.

“We should hurry,” Rowan said, looking up at the sky as storm clouds continued to roll in. It almost always rained on Halloween, and this year had been no different, with the forecast calling for a huge thunderstorm with high winds.

But the weather had held out as they’d headed out for the night to trick-or-treat, and Rowan kept her fingers crossed now that they would make it home before the skies opened up and drowned them in freezing autumn rain.

Gavin retrieved the wagon handle, giving Rowan a reassuring smile. “We’re almost there. Just a few more minutes.”

“Mamaaaa!”

Rowan’s attention was redirected as they continued their walk home, Wisteria telling her about the “ghost” she swore she’d seen. Cordelia kept trying to talk over her, telling her about how she wanted to dress as a rock next year so her and her pet rock could match.

Aurora, for her part, remained mostly quiet, seeming content that Wisteria had stopped trying to steal her candy. Although she did look like she was considering murder when Wisteria cut her off while she was talking about the crafts she’d done in class that day.

“You’ll have to show me when we get home,” Rowan said, smoothing back Aurora’s hair, hoping to distract her from any murderous intents.

Gavin tried to chime in too, although his attention ended up taken up solely by Gardenia, who had decided she wasn’t so scared of the rumbling thunder overhead that she couldn’t talk Gavin’s ear off.

Rowan caught snippets of something about vampires and drawing and a mess of toddler babbling and bubbling laughter.

She couldn’t help smiling, even as fatigue wore her down. She pressed a hand to her belly, listening as her babies and her Gavin chattered, listened as they squealed with laughter in-between very long yawns.

Wisteria was one of the first to succumb to her own fatigue, her eyes growing heavy, the warmth of the blankets they’d tucked into the wagon and the heavy layers of her costume dress getting the better of her. Rowan watched as she slumped to the side, snoring nearly as loud as the booming thunder. Beside her, Cordelia reached for her candy bucket, and Rowan tsked gently.

“No, we don’t steal from our sister,” she chided, and Cordelia drew her hand back, looking sheepish.

“But Wisteria steals from us!” Aurora whined.

“You were awake so you could stop her though. It’s not fair if Wisteria’s asleep.”

Cordelia blinked, looking like she was considering shaking Wisteria awake.

Which was not something anyone really wanted.

The only thing worse than a hyper Wisteria was a grouchy, over-tired Wisteria.

“Don’t bother your sister,” Rowan murmured, gently taking Cordelia’s hands. “Let her sleep. You’ve all had big days.”

“So does that mean no movie?” Aurora pouted, staring up at the starless sky.

“We can watch a movie tomorrow, sweet potato,” Gavin offered, turning to look at them over his shoulder. “Your mama and I are very tired.”

Cordelia stuck her tongue out and Aurora sighed, sounding like they’d told her she couldn’t go to a ball that night, and not that she’d have to wait until the next day to watch a movie.

Gavin winked at Rowan, the pale light that slipped in from between the clouds making his eyes glitter like the stars. It’s true that they were tired, but they wanted to spend some time together, just the two of them, doing one of their little Halloween traditions.

Which may or may not have included eating an entire box of chocolate bars while the kids were lost in their own sugar comas.

The first drops of rain caught in Rowan’s hair as she pulled her house key from her pocket, the warmth of the kitchen light they’d left on spilling through the windows. She opened the door quickly, ushering the girls inside before the storm could grow worse. Wisteria whined, having been awoken when the wagon trundled up their driveway, one of the wheels catching on the curb and jostling her awake. But Rowan just scooped her up, hauling her inside as a gust of wind screamed past, freezing rain skewering her back before she could get the door shut.

Step one, getting the girls home, had been accomplished, but Rowan knew the night was far from over. She knew there was no hope of getting any of them bathed, which meant they’d have to wrangle all four of them in the morning. But both she and Gavin still had to get them to abandon their candy stashes long enough to get changed into their pajamas.

A task that was easier said than done, another wave of exhaustion rolling over Rowan like an ocean tide as the girls dispersed, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the house as they chased one another. She heard Stella, their shepherd-husky mix, howling, the click of her claws scrabbling across the hardwood as she emerged from her crate to race after the little girls.

Rowan considered crumpling to the floor, in drowning in the layers of her dress, letting herself fall asleep in the pile of taffeta and tulle and cotton.

But before her legs could give out on her Gavin was taking her hand, guiding her to the couch, his other hand pressing gently on the small of her back.

“You should sit down,” he murmured, his eyes flicking down, to where the roundness of her belly was hidden beneath her heavy skirts. A crease formed between his brows, his mouth pulling into a frown. “You were on your feet for a while.”

“Babey, I’m not made of glass,” she countered, although her feet and her back screamed at her to listen, to relent.

His frown deepened, and he helped her to sit. She could see the memory of when she’d carried the twins, how sick she’d become so quickly.

“I’m okay,” she said, hoping her smile was reassuring, although if she were honest she was feeling a little like death itself. “I’m okay, it’s not like last time.”

The way Gavin narrowed his eyes told her he was not at all convinced, and instead of heeding anything she was saying he went to work unbuckling her shoes and setting them to the side.

“Just stay off your feet for a few minutes,” he murmured. “Close your eyes if you’re feeling tired, I can handle the girls.”

“I’m not tired-”

The look he gave her, as frigid as a January dawn, shut her up quickly. It was clear there would be no arguing tonight.

Not that it really stopped her, especially when her bladder was screaming at her now that she had to go.

“Gavin,” she whined, fidgeting awkwardly. “I don’t think I can stay still right now. I really have to pee.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Alright, but then you should rest for a little, okay?”

She played with a ribbon that had come undone on the side of her skirts, twisting it around and around her fingers. “Well, it’s pretty hard to go to the bathroom wearing this costume…”

He sighed again, long and loud, just as Aurora had done earlier when Rowan had said no to a late night movie.

“Okay,” he relented, standing and fixing her with a glare. “But once you’ve changed and gone to the bathroom then rest.”

She gave him a little salute, feeling a little cheeky after hearing his thinly-veiled command. “Yes sir.”

Gavin arched a brow, but didn’t offer a comment as he stalked away, calling for the girls, laughing when one of them barreled into his legs.

Rowan staggered to her feet, lifting up her skirts and dragging herself up the stairs to their bedroom to shed her layers. She felt a little like a reptile, molting away a second skin she no longer needed.

She didn’t bother putting the dress away, instead kicking it to the side in a heap of pastel pink ruffles before rushing to the bathroom.

She changed afterwards, throwing on the soft nightgown Gavin had purchased for her birthday back in the winter. It was soft and already well loved, and it accommodated the swell of her pregnant body quite well.

She headed from her room and down the stairs, wondering if there would be any cookies leftover from the halloween treats she’d made with the girls for their halloween bake sale. She remembered she’d squirreled away a few ghost rice krispies and pumpkin sugar cookies, she just hoped none of the girls had found her stash.

She slipped into the kitchen, nearly colliding with the twins as they raced from Stella, their hands full of candy.

“Well what do we have here?” She asked, crouching down to wrap her arms around them.

“Stewwa!” Cordelia shrieked, burying her face against Rowan’s chest. A few feet away Stella stood with her tail wagging, her tongue lolling as she regarded them all curiously.

“She’s just telling you she missed you,” Rowan cooed, smoothing back their hair.

Gardenia held her handfuls of candy up to Rowan like an offering, her amber eyes solemn.

“What’s this?” She asked, scooping the candy from Gardenia’s hands. “Are you two trying to sneak candy before bedtime?”

Gardenia gave a somber nod, but Cordelia wouldn’t meet Rowan’s eyes, instead trying to wiggle out of her arms.

“Not so fast there, tater tot,” she teased, scooping Cordelia into her arms. “There’s no escape for you!”

Cordelia squealed with laughter as Rowan carted her from the kitchen, tickling her side. Stella followed at her heels, tail wagging so quickly it was little more than a blur of grey and brown.

Gavin poked his head from Aurora and Wisteria’s room, a wriggling Wisteria balanced on his hip as he gave Rowan an appraising look. “What’s going on?”

She lifted a giggling Cordelia into the air, wiggling her a little so she laughed harder. “Officer, I found this one trying to sneak candy before bed.”

Gavin arched a brow, and she could see him biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing, even as Wisteria began gnawing on his sweater. “She’ll have to be detained.”

Cordelia shrieked louder, but Rowan gathered her against her chest, bouncing her as she walked towards her room. “You heard officer papa, you’ll have to be detained all night.”

She settled Cordelia into bed, wrapping the blankets around her so she looked like a baby burrito. Cordelia squirmed a little, whining that she wanted to give her pet rock a kiss goodnight. Behind her, Rowan could hear Gardenia grumbling something she assumed was not pleasant.

Scooping Rocco from his makeshift bed on the windowsill, Rowan presented Cordelia her pet rock, letting her give it a kiss before settling it back in its bed.

“There you go, now Rocco will have good dreams,” she murmured, kissing Cordelia’s forehead. “And now you will too.”

She turned to do the same for Gardenia, who sat curled in a ball on her bed.

“What’s wrong, tater tot?”

Gardenia pouted. “No candy.”

“There will be loads of time for candy tomorrow,” Rowan said, perching on the side of the bed. “But right now it’s bedtime. It’s very late for you.”

Gardenia stuck her bottom lip out more, silver lining her eyes. Rowan braced herself for the tantrum, balling up the fabric of her nightgown in her fist as she waited for the crocodile tears to start falling.

But right at that moment Gavin walked in, giving Rowan a cool look before sitting next to her.

“Why don’t you wait for me in the living room,” he murmured, covering her hand with his. “I think I can handle this.”

Stretching out her fingers, Rowan nodded. She didn’t think it was worth it to argue with him, and she was pretty sure she didn’t have the energy to handle a tantrum right now. Her eyes were heavy, her body still ached, and her stomach was beginning to churn, as if it couldn’t decide yet if it was hungry or nauseous.

She pressed a kiss to Gardenia’s head before slipping out of the room. Stella sat waiting for her by the stairs, and she ran her hand over her soft, greying fur as she headed down to the living room.

She paused in the kitchen, swiping a can of ginger-ale from the fridge and rifling through her collection of treats that the girls hadn’t, thankfully, found just yet.

She even grabbed one of the pumpkin doggie cookies they’d bought from cute little pet shop that had opened nearby, getting Stella to do a quick trick before tossing it to her.

She was waiting on the couch when Gavin arrived, her legs stretched out on the couch, her back cushioned by downy pillows, a soft ghost-patterned blanket draped over her. She sipped her ginger-ale, still not entirely sure whether she was hungry or nauseous. She just hoped her body figured it out soon.

“I see you were not listening when I said to rest,” Gavin noted, sitting on the far side of the couch and drawing her legs over his lap. He massaged her ankles gently and she winced; she hadn’t realized they were that swollen.

“I was gonna,” she argued, playing with the aluminum tab on her can. “But there was an emergency.”

“What emergency?” He asked, and she could hear the laughter in his voice as he ran his hand up the side of her leg.

She looked away, focusing on where Stella had curled up on the floor next to the couch. “The twins were trying to steal candy.”

He snorted. “I found three full size aero bars underneath Wisteria’s pillow. I would hardly call it an emergency.”

Rowan looked back at him, alarmed. “I mean if it’s Wisteria, then yes that’s an emergency.”

“Not enough of an emergency that you needed to be running around.”

“I wasn’t running.”

Gavin sighed, the epitome of drama as he tossed his head back, his hair sliding over his brow, his eyes falling closed for the barest of moments. “I told you to sit down.”

“I’m not a glass doll, I was running around taking care of Aurora when I was pregnant with Wisteria.”

His eyes slid open just enough that she could make out the amber of his eyes, gold beneath the living room lights. “This isn’t the same as that and you know it.”

Rowan turned her head away, staring at the darkened television screen. “I was trying to take care of my babies.”

Gavin clicked his tongue, massaging her legs once more. “Tomorrow will definitely be a movie day.”

She sniffed. “I want to pick the movies.”

Gavin didn’t reply with anything other than a soft laugh, digging the pad of his thumb into her ankle.

She yawned, her eyes already growing heavy. They’d gotten back barely even an hour ago and she was already exhausted. Outside she could hear the patter of rain against the windows, the muffled crash of thunder. Lightning flashed, the shadows in the room dissolving for the barest of seconds before creeping back in.

“Sleepy?” He asked, smoothing his palm up her legs, pausing at her knees. “We could go to bed early if you’d like.”

She shook her head, and then immediately regretted it as her stomach twisted and churned. She covered her mouth for a moment, breathing through her nose as deeply as she could, her lungs aching before she began to breathe out.

“I want to spend some time with you,” she managed, taking another sip of her ginger-ale.

Gavin’s answering smile was soft, and he reached forward to grasp her free hand, bringing it to his lips. “I think that’s something we can agree on.”

“Oh finally,” she groused, as if her face wasn’t burning like a fire had been set beneath her skin.

“Finally?” He was laughing, he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was laughing.

“Now if only we could agree on some snacks.”

Gavin eyed the cookie perched on the back of the couch she had yet to touch. “What were you thinking?”

She shrugged, sipping her drink again, the bubbles finally starting to calm the roiling sea in her stomach. “Something chocolatey… Maybe some ice cream if there’s any.”

Gavin squeezed Rowan’s hand before standing. “As you wish, pumpkin.”

Rowan watched him leave before rolling onto her side, struggling to reach the remote on the table a few feet away. She wanted to get a movie started before he came back, before the inevitable fight over what to watch.

And was he really going to say no to his tired, pregnant wife if she already had something playing that she really wanted to watch?

But Rowan’s efforts were thwarted as Gavin returned, swiping the remote up and clutching it close to his chest.

“Nice try,” he teased, settling a box and a few plates and bowls on the table instead. “But I think just for that I should get to pick today’s movie.”

Rowan pouted, but Gavin was shaking his head, his gaze fixed on the television ahead. “You can’t convince me to change my mind if I’m not looking.”

“You don’t want to look at me? You don’t think I’m pretty?”

She didn’t have to see his face to see the gears whirring in his head, trying to come up with the best response that wouldn’t upset her too much.

Which she supposed was fair considering she had been sobbing earlier that morning over a muffin she’d wanted so badly she’d had a dream about it.

Gavin scratched at the back of his neck. “I think you’re too pretty. I think if I look at you I’ll change my mind.”

She rolled her eyes, reaching instead now for the bowl of ice cream melting in a little pink bowl on the table.

“Let me get that for you,” he said, clicking on a movie, the television screen blooming with colour as the opening credits began to play.

“I can get it,” she grunted. “I’m not broken.”

He took the bowl from the table and set it in her outstretched hands, grinning. “No, but you’re a little far from the table.”

“Well I couldn’t just stand up,” she muttered, leaning back against the couch. “Apparently I’ve been banned from walking.”

Gavin didn’t offer a reply, and she could see the way he was fighting against his laughter. Instead, he focused on arranging pillows on the floor, draping blankets over them until he’d built up a pile that resembled a nest.

“How’s that?” He asked, straightening to inspect his work.

“It looks like something Wisteria would make.”

Gavin arched a brow, his eyes flickering like a candle flame with confusion. “That could mean… A lot of things.”

“I think it looks very comfy,” Rowan said, setting her bowl down on the couch next to her. “Will you help me?”

There really wasn’t even a point in asking, Gavin already taking her hands, his other hand supporting her back as she shifted from the couch to the nest of blankets and pillows.

She sank against the soft blankets, groaning a little as she settled. Maybe she had overdone it a little today. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so quick to argue with him.

Not that she was about to admit anything now. Not when it meant Gavin would be acting smug for the next week.

Rowan watched as Gavin took the box from the little side table and set it before them, crossing his legs on the carpet next to her.

It had been something like a tradition for years now, back when they had first moved in together. Gavin had been very sheepish about his hobby building Lego sets, but he’d come to her asking if they could build one together many Halloweens ago. She remembered the warmth in her heart, the buzz of the spiced drinks they’d shared, the laughter of children walking from their door after trick-or-treating. She remembered Gavin’s hands and the ring of his laugh and the comfort that had wrapped itself around her like an embrace.

So now they built one every year, although it had gotten increasingly difficult once they’d had the girls. But they’d found ways, had eked out scraps of moments late in the night to spend together.

Rowan’s eyes still felt heavy, although she did her best to shake it off. Maybe she could have a small coffee, to keep herself awake. She didn’t want to lose this time with Gavin, didn’t want to fade into unconsciousness when she had been looking forward to this night for over a week now.

She did her best to focus, to force her eyes open as she slid the box towards her. The loose pieces clattered together, a discordant melody jangling through the room. Her shoulders hunched from the sound, worried it would wake the girls, but the clamour was drowned out by the soft music of the movie Gavin had turned on.

She sighed, drawing the box into her lap to look it over.

“A typewriter!” She exclaimed, digging her fingers into the cardboard to wrench the box open. “Can you type with it?”

Gavin shook his head, scooting closer. He craned his neck to peer at writing on the side. “I don’t think you can use it to type, but the keys are functional.”

She shrugged, tipping the box over and dumping it over one of her blankets, muffling the sound of the little bags of pieces colliding as they tumbled to the floor. “At least the keys actually click! This is so exciting!”

Gavin took the empty box from Rowan before taking her hand, squeezing it gently. “Are you sure? If you’re tired we can-”

“Gavin,” she hushed him with a quiet murmur of his name. She cupped his cheek, holding his gaze steady. “Babey, I love you. I’ve been looking forward to this for days.”

His cheeks were stained, as they so often were when they started a new lego set, like they were still young and their relationship was new and they were only just unwrapping the hidden layers in each of their hearts. He always looked a little like the first time he’d admitted he liked building them, his eyes a little brighter, reminding her of warm afternoon sunshine, his cheeks crimson as silken rose petals unfurling in the dawn.

So Rowan did what she always did, grasping his face with both hands now and pressing a kiss to the edge of his mouth, to the curve of his jaw, to the corner of his eye.

“I love spending time with you, and doing things like this with you,” she breathed, resting her brow against his.

Gavin hummed, and she could feel his eyes falling closed as his lashes tickled her cheeks. His hands circled her wrists, and she could feel the flutter of his pulse against her arm.

They stayed like that for a few moments, warm and comfortable, pressed against each other while swathed in the soft blankets and pillows of the nest. Rowan’s mind began to wander, the edges of the world softening, turning hazy. She felt like she was being buoyed on a gently rolling sea. Or perhaps she was on a soft cloud, hovering above the earth, Gavin keeping her safe beside him.

“Pumpkin,” she could hear Gavin’s voice, but distantly, as if it was veiled.

“Rowan,” he tried again, and she smiled as she heard the laughter in his own voice. She was so happy she could make him smile, could make him laugh. She wanted to bring a little piece of happiness into his life for the rest of their days.

His lips were against hers, and only then did she force her eyes to open, her mind struggling to keep up with the world coming into focus around her.

Gavin was smiling, softly, although she was sure the smugness would come later, when she was more alert and a better target for teasing.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to bed?” He asked, stroking her hair. “We can go to bed now if you want, work on this another day.”

“But we always build them on Halloween,” she whined, peeling away, her body as heavy as lead.

Gavin sighed, his hands falling away. “What am I going to do with you?”

“At this point?” She asked, yawning before she continued. “I hope love me for forever, and hold my hand when I’m sad, and tell me I’m pretty even when I’m not.”

“Well that’s one thing I can’t do,” he said, beginning to sort through the lego pieces.

“What do you mean?”

“You said to tell you that you’re pretty even when you’re not. But you’re always beautiful to me.”

She raised a brow, flicking her gaze down over her body. “Even right now?”

He leaned forward, his breath warm against her skin as he kissed the side of her neck. “Especially right now.”

She shoved at his chest, turning away to stare at the TV, at the movie she hadn’t paid any attention to thus far. “We should probably try to actually build this.”

Gavin snickered, kissing her cheek once more before he pulled away, plucking the instruction manual from the floor. “As you wish, pumpkin.”

Her stomach finally calmed itself as they began piecing together the set, her focus shifting from whether she was going to throw up to piecing little plastic bits the size of her pinky nail together. She snacked on the food Gavin had brought, delighted every time she picked up a new treat, tasting chocolate and sugary icing and cake. The movie droned on in front of them, although Rowan found it did not grab at her attention until the very end, the tension sloughing away after the climax.

She felt a little confused, too, wondering why Gavin had chosen this movie. It was a mystery, but it was a little too similar to a police procedural, nothing like what he usually chose to watch.

“Can we watch Enchanted next?” She asked, searching for a piece she needed.

“Not a fan?” He asked, gesturing with his chin to the screen.

“I mean honestly I wasn’t paying that much attention,” she said, watching as police dragged the criminal away. “Why’d you choose this one? I thought you didn’t like movies that reminded you of work.”

He shrugged, but there was no way Rowan was missing the unmistakable scarlet on the tips of his ears.

“I just wanted to play something so there was noise,” he said, casting his eyes away. “I wasn’t really paying attention, I just wanted to start building this set together.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, smiling. “Babey, you really are the sweetest, did you know that?”

He narrowed his eyes, finally looking back at her. “I think that fits you best, pumpkin.”

She laughed, swiping the remote from the floor. “Well I think you’re sweet, and you can’t change my mind.”

His brows drew together and he busied himself with sorting through the loose pieces, the red in his cheeks and on his ears growing deeper, the burning red of a sunset sky set alight. But she could see the smile at the corners of his lips, could see the way his eyes brightened.

She ended the movie, quickly flicking through the different titles before finally selecting Enchanted, beaming as the opening music swelled.

“There we go,” she sang. “This will be perfect!”

As it happened the choice was not perfect, although Rowan couldn’t have known that. She was so engrossed in the satisfying click of the lego pieces and working in tandem with Gavin that she didn’t hear the door opening or the little footsteps on the floor until Aurora was all but a foot from Rowan and Gavin.

“You’re watching Enchanted?” She cried, her eyes wide, looking aghast.

“What are doing up, sweet potato?” Gavin asked, getting to his feet.

Aurora sniffled. “I had a bad dream, and then I heards the songs!”

“Oh my baby,” Rowan struggled to her feet, moving to scoop Aurora into her arms. “My baby it’s okay.”

“It was so scawy,” Aurora whimpered, clutching at Rowan’s clothes. “I was being chased!”

“Well you’re safe now, you’re safe.”

“Don’t make me go back to bed,” she cried, burying her face against Rowan’s neck. “Pwease, mama.”

How was she supposed to say no to that? There was no way that she could, not when Aurora was nearly in hysterics.

“You can sit with us for a while,” she murmured, smoothing back Aurora’s hair. “I’ll hold you tight, okay?”

Rowan turned, trying to figure out how she was going to get back into her little floor nest, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Wisteria nestled in it instead.

“Hi mama!”

“What are you doing up?” Gavin asked, scooping Wisteria up as she beamed at them. He narrowed his eyes, assessing the chocolate stain on her cheek. “Never mind, I know exactly what you were doing.”

Wisteria giggled, stretching her arms up. “No bed for me too! I wanna stay up!”

“You need to go to bed,” Gavin chided. “It’s very late.”

“No!” She wailed, although unlike Aurora she was still beaming like a very tiny maniac. “No bed!”

A muscle twitched in Gavin’s jaw, his brows drawing very very low as he frowned at his second daughter.

“Whatcha doing anyways?” Wisteria chirped, completely unfazed. “Can I helps?”

Rowan bit back a laugh, knowing full well Wisteria would certainly make the project more difficult to complete.

She was more of a ‘hide all the pieces and lie about where they are’ type of kid than a ‘build a lego set in one sitting’ kid.

“Are the twins awake?” Rowan asked, concern gnawing at her mind. The absolute last thing she wanted was for the twins to be running around awake, too.

Overtired babies were a recipe for a disastrous day.

“I’ll go check,” Gavin said, setting Wisteria down on the couch.

Rowan had managed to lower herself back into her blanket nest by the time Gavin returned, Aurora now wide awake, her gaze fixed on the TV.

“It looks like they’re asleep,” he said, running a hand through his hair as he sat down. “Thank god.”

The question remained, however, what did they do with the other two? Rowan was loath to try and put Aurora back to bed, in case it triggered a tantrum, but what about Wisteria?

“I suppose,” Gavin ground out, looking more than a little reluctant as he again dragged his hand through his hair. “That the older two can stay up for the time being.”

Rowan nodded, rubbing Aurora’s arm as she snuggled into some of the blankets. “How’s that sound?”

Aurora nodded, silent as a mouse.

Wisteria for her part tried to cheer very, very loudly, but Gavin scooped her up and dropped her into his lap, hushing her before she could break any eardrums.

“You have to be quiet though, baked potato,” he whispered, putting a finger to his mouth. “So we don’t wake up the twins.”

Wisteria huffed, but seemed inclined to listen, especially since it meant she got to stay up well past her bedtime.

Both Rowan and Gavin tried to return to their lego set, although the task became more than a little difficult with Wisteria asking what every piece did every few moments, and with Aurora needing comfort every few moments when she began to nod off, terrified she would find herself in her nightmare once more.

Enchanted ended and they chose another movie, a kid friendly halloween movie that both girls were delighted to watch. Rowan’s eyes grew heavier and heavier, her focus waning as exhaustion crept over her.

Beside her, Aurora was beginning to doze, her little head cushioned by the soft orange blanket they’d only purchased a few days ago, the one she had dubbed her new favourite.

On the couch behind her, Wisteria was beginning to snore, muttering something unintelligible in between loud snorts.

She covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing as Wisteria snored, the sound becoming utterly hysterical in the shadows of the night.

The typewriter lay half finished on the floor, the storm was still raging outside, rain pelting like daggers against the window. There was nothing left of the snacks but a few stray crumbs stuck to Aurora’s cheeks and Wisteria’s hands, and somehow Wisteria’s snoring was so hilarious that Rowan felt like she might dissolve into a fit of laughter at any moment.

“What’s so funny?” Gavin whispered, sliding up beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Rowan’s eyes bugged and it took all of her remaining strength to speak. “Her snores.”

Gavin chuckled, glancing back at their daughter. “She snores louder than some of the guys I’ve worked with on missions.”

Somehow that statement was even more absurd than the snoring, and Rowan’s shoulder began to shake from the effort of not letting herself laugh.

Gavin snorted, pulling her against his chest. He looked a little sleepy too, and he smelled warm and clean, like fresh laundry drying in the breeze. His warmth was comforting, and Rowan could feel herself calming down, if only a little.

“Why don’t we watch the movie for a minute,” he murmured, leaning back against the blankets and the cushions. “I feel a little tired, and I’d like to hold you for a while.”

Rowan could find no reason to argue, no reason to deny being held in her husband’s arms. She let him gather her against his chest, let him tuck her head beneath his chin. Let herself settle against him, let herself hear the beat of his heart, feel his breath tangle in her hair.

“Do you really want to watch Halloweentown?” She asked, fighting back a yawn.

Gavin stroked her hair quietly, like he was deep in thought. Part of her wondered if he’d fallen asleep.

“Well this is the movie we’d watched the first time we’d built one of these sets,” he said at last, nearly startling her from her calm. “Do you remember?”

She did remember. She remembered the warmth of his lips against her skin and the ring of the doorbell and the bubbles that slipped through her veins as she poured herself another mug of spiced wine. She remembered that first set they’d put together, a rocket ship to go along with the international space station set he’d already completed.

And she remembered the movie, too, the first in a slew of movies they played until they’d fallen asleep on top of each other on the couch, clutched in each other’s arms until the watery, grey light of dawn roused them.

“I do,” she murmured, reaching up to cover his hand with hers. “I remember how happy I was to be with you. To share such a nice night with you.”

“And are you happy now?” He asked, his voice so quiet now she almost didn’t hear him.

“I am,” she murmured, nestling closer, her eyes almost too heavy to keep open. “I’m so happy.”

“I am too,” he breathed.

She felt his arms moving, felt something soft being tucked around her, although she could not see it. It took Rowan a few moments to realize her eyes weren’t open, which explained why she couldn’t see what was happening. It took her another few moments to realize that it was a blanket, one of the fluffy ones they usually reserved for early winter, when the air grew bitter and stung their lungs with every breath.

“I’m so happy to be with you,” he said. “To hold you in my arms.”

“It’s probably not easy,” she mumbled, her mind betraying her, drawing her towards the shadowed sea of unconsciousness. “Since I’m already huge.”

“I think it’s still easy to hold you,” he murmured. “It’s simple, it’s like breathing.”

She huffed, the closest thing she could get to a laugh now. She might have told him he was silly, that he was a dork, but she wasn’t sure, she couldn’t seem to get her mouth to move.

Although Gavin did laugh, his arms tightening around her, so she was pretty sure she’d said it, she was pretty sure the words had danced through the air, kindling to his laughter.

“Will you still be happy if we don’t finish the typewriter tonight?”

She heard his question, although she didn’t fully process it. He was so warm, and all she could hear was the word ‘happy’ and all she could think of was how happy she was, how warm she was. She’d spent the day with her family, had helped her girls get into their halloween costumes and held their hands when they’d trick-or-treated. And now she was cuddled with her husband, with her beloved Gavin.

“Of course,” she murmured.

Because of course. Of course she was happy.